Interior/exterior trash removal system

ABSTRACT

A garbage removal system, including a wall chute and garbage receptacle, that allows the user thereof to extract garbage from his/her home without ever walking out of doors is disclosed herein.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present invention is a continuation of Disclosure Document Number 488,947 filed on Feb. 16, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to household garbage removal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a household garbage removal system in which trash can be deposited from the interior of the house into an outdoor garbage receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Every household has to deal with trash removal. Often it is done more than once a week to prevent unpleasant odors and the possibility of attracting insects and other unwanted pests into the house. Normally, trash removal requires a trip outdoors or to a garage. Going outside in the extreme heat of summer or in the extreme cold of winter can make trash removal even more unpleasant and inconvenient. Consequently, a need exists for a way to get trash out of the house without actually having to leave the house. The present invention fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention, the interior/exterior trash removal system and method for making is devised to allow one to throw away garbage from the interior of one's home to the exterior of the home without leaving the interior. It includes a doorway located on an exterior wall within the house. Said doorway leads to a garbage chute that travels through the exterior wall and ends in a large outdoor trash receptacle. The outdoor trash receptacle together with a portion of the garbage chute is housed in a small shed, sized to fit the same, built on the outside of the house. The shed has openings cut therethrough for ventilation and has a door for easy removal of the outdoor trash receptacle when necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the housing outside of the house.

[0007]FIG. 2 is a front view of the interior of the housing

[0008]FIG. 3 is a front view of the door on the interior of the house.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior/exterior trash removal system 10, is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. In the preferred embodiment, the interior/exterior trash removal system 10 has a door 20 located on an exterior wall within any room of a house. The door 20 is preferably attached to the exterior wall via hinges 22, although other means can be used, and has a secure locking system 24 much like any other exterior door of a house such that it prevents unwanted pests and intruders from entering the house via the door 20. In the preferred embodiment, the door 20 opens to the chute 30 that is located within the exterior wall of the house. The chute 30 is preferably made of plastic although a number of other materials including, but not limited to, wood and/or metal can be used to make the chute. It is preferred that the chute 30 is angled down from the door 20 to the outside of the house. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the angle of the chute 30 should be of such a degree that garbage will easily slide without sticking or stopping. Further, it is preferred that the interior of the chute 30 be smooth such that garbage will slide easily without getting caught. At the outside of the house, the chute 30 extends over the top of a garbage can or receptacle 40. It is preferred that a forty-five gallon garbage receptacle 40 be used. Using such a large receptacle 40 will lesson the frequency of changing or emptying the garbage receptacle 40. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that any number of different sized garbage receptacles can be used. The size of the garbage receptacle 40 can vary based on the size of the household that is going to use the interior/exterior trash removal system 10, the amount of garbage that said household throws out and how often the garbage is picked up by a trash collector. A single user whose garbage is picked up once a week may only need a fifteen gallon trash receptacle, whereas a family of five would need a much larger trash receptacle 40.

[0010] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the preferred embodiment, the trash receptacle 40 is enclosed within a shed-like housing 50. The housing 50 is preferably sized to be just large enough to enclose the trash receptacle 40 and accommodate a portion of the chute 30, although one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the housing 50 can be any size that the user would like. The housing 50 can be built larger to house tools, etc. together with the trash receptacle 40. One of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that the interior/exterior trash removal system 10 can exist without the housing 50. The housing 50 serves to keep unwanted pests away from the garbage within the trash receptacle 40 and further serves to prevent precipitation from entering and filling the trash receptacle 40. In the preferred embodiment, the floor of the housing 50 is constructed from concrete whereas the side walls and ceiling of the housing 50 are constructed from wood and are covered, sided, painted, etc. to match the home to which the interior/exterior trash removal system 10 is being installed. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the housing 50 can be constructed from a number of different materials, including, but not limited to, plastic or concrete and need not match the home to which it is installed.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the housing 50 has openings 52 along the top and bottome of the side walls. Said openings 52 are preferably located in the side wall approximately six inches down from the ceiling of the housing 50 and approximately eighteen inches up from the floor of the housing 50. The openings 52 are preferably small in size, to prevent unwanted pest infiltration. Screening preferably covers the openings 52, although it is not necessary. The openings 52 ventilate the housing 50 letting out odors and heat. It is preferred that said openings 52 be located both at the top and bottom of the side walls in order for the air within the housing 50 to circulate properly. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the openings 52 can be located anywhere on the side walls or ceiling of the housing 50 and that there can be as many openings 52 as desired.

[0012] In the preferred embodiment, the housing 50 has a door 54 that allows the user access to the trash receptacle 40 for removal and replacement. In the preferred embodiment, the door 54 is attached to the housing 50 via a set of hinges 56. It is also preferred that the door 54 have a secure latch 58 that prevents unwanted pests and people from entering the housing 50 through the door 54. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the door 54 need not be attached to the housing 50 via hinges 56, a variety of other methods including but not limited to, having a sliding door, exist. Further, a secure latch 58 or lock is not necessary to the interior/exterior trash removal system 10, but is preferred.

[0013] Although this invention has certain preferred embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and all such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An interior/exterior trash removal system comprising: a compartment cut through an exterior wall of a structure, said compartment having a first end and a second end; an inner door coupled to the inside of an exterior wall of a structure at the first end of the compartment, for separating the compartment from the interior of the structure; and, a receptacle positioned under the second end of the compartment.
 2. The interior/exterior trash removal system of claim 1 wherein the compartment is angled.
 3. An interior/exterior trash removal system comprising: a compartment cut through an exterior wall of a structure, said compartment having a first end and a second end; a chute coupled to the compartment; an inner door coupled to the inside of an exterior wall of a structure at the first end of the compartment, for separating the compartment from the interior of the structure; and, a receptacle positioned under the second end of the compartment.
 4. The interior/exterior trash removal system of claim 3 wherein the compartment and the chute are angled.
 5. An interior/exterior trash removal system comprising: a compartment cut through an exterior wall of a structure, said compartment having a first end and a second end; a chute coupled to the compartment; an inner door coupled to the inside of an exterior wall of a structure at the first end of the compartment, for separating the compartment from the interior of the structure; a receptacle positioned under the second end of the compartment; and, a housing surrounding the receptacle, said housing having an opening that allows the chute to protrude into the housing.
 6. The interior/exterior trash removal system of claim 5 wherein the compartment and the chute are angled.
 7. The interior/exterior trash removal system of claim 5 wherein the housing has a door for allowing access to the receptacle.
 8. The interior/exterior trash removal system of claim 5 wherein the housing has apertures therein for allowing the flow of air into and out of the housing. 